FLEX: What changes have you made in your chest training to improve for Nationals?

KJ: The main thing that goes through my mind during chest training is actually engaging my chest. In the past, I used to think that just going heavy was all I needed to do to get a bigger chest. I have very strong delts and triceps, and sometimes they can take over the exercise. I don’t train as heavy as I used too—instead I try to emphasize the contraction in the pecs a little more than I would with other muscle groups. By focusing on the contraction of the chest and really “squeezing” hard with every rep, I feel my chest has vastly improved.

FLEX: What are some of your favorite chest exercises to put on size, and what are your set and rep ranges?

KJ: My all-time favorite chest exercises are the barbell incline and the flat dumbbell press. I also include a variety of Hammer Strength machines. Sets stay in the 3–4 range, and the lowest I go is 8 reps. I stick with about five exercises.

FLEX: As a former football player [Jordan played football, basketball, and baseball at Millikin University in Decatur, IL], you mentioned you don’t bench press as much, and focus on other exercises to develop your chest.

KJ: It was very difficult to leave the bench press behind after doing it for so many years. I just wasn’t used to the variety we have in bodybuilding. In school we had strength coaches, but they emphasized the core lifts—like benching—a lot more. I don’t go very heavy because then it turns into an ego thing and I’m not interested in moving weight. I’m focusing on maximizing muscle contraction of the chest. If it were all about the weights, then power-lifters would have larger chests than bodybuilders, which they don’t.

FLEX: Are cable crossovers and flyes necessary for chest development? Many bodybuilders regard them as a shaping exercise.

KJ: Cable crossovers are great for chest development. I like to use them at the end of a session, to pump as much blood into my chest as possible to get that full feeling. I also use flat and incline dumbbell flyes. The key to these movements is to not use too much weight—I think that’s why people don’t get enough out of them.

KJ: I usually pre-exhaust with machine flyes to get warmed up and get some blood in the muscle before I tackle the big-boy exercises. It’s important to use those as a warm-up and not make yourself too tired before you move on to your big movements. Much like most guys will do some leg extensions first to warm up their quads before squats, I do the same thing first with chest—I always warm up with an isolation exercise first.

And with that pompous attitude you'll never see improvement in ur own chest development. There is nothing here that is wrong. Crying bs and playing the "roid card" just makes u look like a whiner and a quitter. Stop making excuses and try some of these techniques. All the steroids in the world wont make u big. Training hard and eating lots makes u grow.

He said:

1) lighten the load so u can focus on the squeeze
2) stay outta the super low rep ranges.
3) warm the joints up with iso training before lifting the heavier weights.

He didnt say this was the only way to success he just said it was how he did it. Geeze this board is imposible to help. Too many know-it-alls that are miles ahead of eveyone else I suppose.

And with that pompous attitude you'll never see improvement in ur own chest development. There is nothing here that is wrong. Crying bs and playing the "roid card" just makes u look like a whiner and a quitter. Stop making excuses and try some of these techniques. All the steroids in the world wont make u big. Training hard and eating lots makes u grow.

He said:

1) lighten the load so u can focus on the squeeze
2) stay outta the super low rep ranges.
3) warm the joints up with iso training before lifting the heavier weights.

He didnt say this was the only way to success he just said it was how he did it. Geeze this board is impossible to help. Too many know-it-alls that are miles ahead of everyone else I suppose.

I think it can be interesting to see articles like this, but there's hardly anything that a well-read bb'er shouldn't know. T-nation.com has the best articles by far. Also, articles by strength coaches and other qualifications in sports medicine have much more meat than this obviously.

I think it can be interesting to see articles like this, but there's hardly anything that a well-read bb'er shouldn't know. T-nation.com has the best articles by far. Also, articles by strength coaches and other qualifications in sports medicine have much more meat than this obviously.

Thats true. But sometimes I find that strength coaches get too complicated and technical. Getting bigger and stronger shouldnt be complicated.

And with that pompous attitude you'll never see improvement in ur own chest development. There is nothing here that is wrong. Crying bs and playing the "roid card" just makes u look like a whiner and a quitter. Stop making excuses and try some of these techniques. All the steroids in the world wont make u big. Training hard and eating lots makes u grow.

He said:

1) lighten the load so u can focus on the squeeze
2) stay outta the super low rep ranges.
3) warm the joints up with iso training before lifting the heavier weights.

He didnt say this was the only way to success he just said it was how he did it. Geeze this board is imposible to help. Too many know-it-alls that are miles ahead of eveyone else I suppose.

That's honestly hilarious! So just show how good he, Ronnie Coleman, any Pro bodybuilder looks without them. Use some intelligence, all you have to do is look what happens to the women that use drugs.

Have you tried steroids? Do u even know first hand? Something tells me u dont.

Seriously I've had 1.8 grams of androgens in my system but didnt know how to eat or train very well and didnt gain hardly any weight or size ~ 8lbs. I just got stronger and harder. THATS IT.

Now I'm not running any of that stuff and I'm bigger and stronger than I was then, by about 12-15lbs and lifting lots more weight AND LEANER. So, I KNOW u dont have a clue about what u say because I'm a living testament to the fact that training and diet can never ever be replaced by steroids and GH. Ever.

People like u will always have excuses. You talk like you know for fact that the reason people have a big chest is because they take steroids? If u ever took steroids, you wouldnt say such ignorant stuff because u would know that it takes dedication & discipline to get the results that pros have. You'd know this after ur very first cycle when u realize that they didnt live up to ur lofty expectations. Steroids wont do anything but give u a host of side effects if u have no work ethic to begin with. Again, that statement isnt up for debate because I already know first hand.

Lets also take note that the article was about having success building up a certain muscle group. Nowhere did the article discuss the difference between natty guys and users and it certainly didnt mention Ronnie Coleman or others. Bottom line, natty guys need to be trying to train just the same way a user would just not as much volume or frequency but the style and approach should be similar. Very few rules change for steroid users.

Have you tried steroids? Do u even know first hand? Something tells me u dont.

Seriously I've had 1.8 grams of androgens in my system but didnt know how to eat or train very well and didnt gain hardly any weight or size ~ 8lbs. I just got stronger and harder. THATS IT.

Now I'm not running any of that stuff and I'm bigger and stronger than I was then, by about 12-15lbs and lifting lots more weight AND LEANER. So, I KNOW u dont have a clue about what u say because I'm a living testament to the fact that training and diet can never ever be replaced by steroids and GH. Ever.

People like u will always have excuses. You talk like you know for fact that the reason people have a big chest is because they take steroids? If u ever took steroids, you wouldnt say such ignorant stuff because u would know that it takes dedication & discipline to get the results that pros have. You'd know this after ur very first cycle when u realize that they didnt live up to ur lofty expectations. Steroids wont do anything but give u a host of side effects if u have no work ethic to begin with. Again, that statement isnt up for debate because I already know first hand.

Lets also take note that the article was about having success building up a certain muscle group. Nowhere did the article discuss the difference between natty guys and users and it certainly didnt mention Ronnie Coleman or others. Bottom line, natty guys need to be trying to train just the same way a user would just not as much volume or frequency but the style and approach should be similar. Very few rules change for steroid users.